Strength (abbreviated as "ST") determines how much physical damage a character can inflict or take during combat, as well as how much weight a character can carry before becoming over-encumbered and how far any given item can be hurled. Some weapons must have a minimum strength requirement met in order to be used effectively; a person without sufficient brute strength will be unable to wield them.

Carry weight: this is the maximum weight a character is capable of carrying. (The unit of measure for weight is "stones," as defined in Appendix One of the Glossary.) The greater the Strength of the Character, the more he or she can carry.

Damage bonus: a person of great strength can deal a large amount of damage with any unarmed or melee attack. There can also be a penalty (a negative adjustment to damage) for characters with less strength. A halfling's fist does far less harm than that of a half-ogre!